Steve Novick

Steven "Steve" Novick (born February 8, 1963) is a politician in the U.S. state of Oregon and a former environmental lawyer and political activist. He is currently a Portland City Commissioner – a member of the City Council of Portland – having been elected in May 2012 and assumed office on January 1, 2013. In 2008, he ran for the Democratic Party's nomination for the United States Senate, for the seat then held by Republican Gordon Smith, but narrowly lost to Oregon House speaker Jeff Merkley. On the Portland city council, he is in charge of the city's transportation department, among other responsibilities.

Early life

Novick was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1963. His parents, a waitress and a union organizer, moved his family to Cottage Grove, Oregon, in 1973.

Novick was born with significant physical disabilities, including a missing left hand and missing fibula bones in his legs. As a result he uses a hook prosthesis and stands approximately 4 feet 9 inches (1.45 m) tall. His disabilities have prompted him to use the slogan "The Fighter with the Hard Left Hook." His levity about his physical stature has drawn both positive and negative reviews from the press.